Mental Floss

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Grab your magnifying glass.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Ellen Gutoskey
MRSA bacteria bound to a neutrophil, a type of infection-fighting white blood cell.

Public health officials are concerned that we could move back into a situation like that of the early 20th century, before antibiotics were discovered.

Tara Smith








Thank your butt for your ability to stand up straight.

You can thank your butt for a number of physical actions you take every day: moving your hip and thigh during walking or running, rising from a sitting position, climbing, and even just standing upright.

Jordan Rosenfeld


See if you can decipher this twisted tune.

It’s time to play Tune Twist, where we translate the lyrics of popular songs into multiple languages and then back into English. Can you figure out what the song is, or who performed it?

mentalfloss .com




You want nothing to do with chimney sweep’s scrotum.

Today’s work-related ailments have nothing on these (mostly) historical diseases. You’ll be glad you're not suffering from Hatter’s Shakes—or worse, Chimney Sweep’s Scrotum.

Paul Anthony Jones